It’s undoubtedly true,
as we all know, that “the best things in life are free”—love, truth, beauty,
honor, among them. Material things, however, do play a part in the quality and
enjoyment of our lives. Our experience of the material world can contribute to
a sense of satisfaction and hence of wellbeing. If you are among the many for
whom this is true, I suggest that you freely indulge in small pleasures.

This message applies to
people of all ages, but it is especially intended as a manifesto for older
readers not enticed by calls to create a dramatic bucket list, go on a lavish cruise
or round-the-world trip, or purchase a fancy automobile. I have no quarrel with
those who are so compelled, but the advice about aging and retirement has
overwhelmingly spoken to the true luxury-seekers among the older population.

But what about those
of us for whom joy and certainly contentment in advancing age is not found
sitting in airport waiting lounges, scrambling to change planes? Or who
don’t find ourselves in situations able to “get away,” perhaps
because of responsibilities to kids, grandchildren, or parents? How do we
find our retirement pleasure?

Of course, the “big” answer resides in deep relationships, meaningful activities, close community. But a partial – though no less compelling – response may reside in the more regular consumption of what I am calling “small pleasures.”

When you go to the supermarket, indulge a little. Purchase—and savor—that expensive chocolate instead of the cheaper variety. Or do the same with coffee. Or go to a bath and beauty store for high-quality soap. Such examples could be multiplied many times. Find your own favorite areas for occasionally foregoing your usual economy in favor of indulging in small pleasures.

The Jaguar that most
of us will never own costs a little less than twice what our Toyota or Subaru does.
So how do “small pleasures” compare to their more economical counterparts?

“Economy” Brand

“Pleasure” Brand

% Greater

Car

$25,450

$44,800

76%

Chocolate

$1.99

$3.99

100%

Coffee

$4.35

$12.99

199%

Soap

$1.65

$7.99

384%

As you can see, in
percentage terms it’s actually more extravagant to purchase the “small
pleasures.” Feel like a millionaire and enjoy all of them! You’ll still only be
out a total of 25 bucks, as compared to $45,000.

So, indulge yourself a
little, if you are able to do so. You deserve it.

Finally: Please
remember that 68,000 Vermonters, 11.3 percent of the state’s population, live
in poverty. At least 8,000 among them are Vermont senior citizens. For those
below the poverty line, our neighbors among them, subsistence is the currently
reachable goal, not—sadly—these small pleasures.

Dan Regan, a sociologist, is the former dean of academic affairs at Johnson State College and continues to work part-time for Northern Vermont University. He writes for a variety of publications about whatever interests him, including—recently—climate change, living with arthritis, the NFL players’ protests, and higher education.

While most of us have an intuitive drive and love for sleep, many of us don’t understand how a good night’s rest impacts our mental and emotional well-being. Today’s blog is going to unpack Sleep as a Pillar/Foundation for Mental Health. A compromised sleep-wake cycle alters brain activity and the neurochemicals that directly affect our mood and executive functioning (ie: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-control), and undermines the processes intended to restore our minds and bodies to a normal, healthy baseline. Protecting the quality and quantity of our sleep is one of the most critical interventions we can do to improve overall mental, emotional, and physical functioning.

Our sleep-wake cycle is controlled by the HPA (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal) Axis which controls cortisol production on a 24-hour Circadian Rhythm. When our sleep-wake cycle is rhythmic, cortisol drops at night to help us fall asleep and increases in the early morning hours to help us wake up. Acute or chronic stress, unresolved trauma, drug and alcohol use, pain, blood-sugar dysregulation (hypoglycemia), misuse of caffeine, illness, and hormone imbalances, among other things, can all impact the level of cortisol in the body, affect our sleep patterns, and exacerbate symptoms of or lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, PMS, ADHD, dementia, and Bipolar disorder. Ongoing disruption of this essential psychological-biological rhythm reinforces mental distress and becomes a vicious cycle of symptoms that disrupt sleep patterns and sleep disturbances that often develop into mental health disorders.

Research has shown that sleep, and REM sleep or dream sleep, in particular, plays a major role in mood regulation and that increasing our time in REM sleep reduces depression. When we are sleeping, our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) gets a chance to be in Parasympathetic Mode – time to put the brakes on and rest, digest, relax, restore, renew, detoxify, and integrate information and experiences from the day. All important reasons to safeguard sleep.

Our use of technology exerts a considerable impact on both the quality and quantity of our sleep. The blue-green wavelength that screens emit depresses melatonin, the sleep hormone that is released when the sun goes down. For this reason, blue light acts as a stimulant to the brain, making it hard to feel relaxed, settle down, and fall asleep. Easily accessed devices create an all-too-easy and convenient distraction for most people, often leading to a disconnect from real-time experiences and relationships, misuse of time, and a disruption of the circadian rhythm. Behavioral habits of checking and rechecking our devices can often set a negative or anxious tone for the day, and as stress hormones are released, feelings of anxiety increase. Often, even before people are getting out of their beds in the mornings, they are tired, stressed, and irritable from their dysregulated sleep. Beginning the day with a deficit is no fun for anyone!

Ways to protect and improve your sleep and mental and emotional wellbeing:

Discontinue use of all technology at least 1 hour prior to going to bed and ideally, leave your device charging outside of your bedroom in order to reduce distractions,increase intimacy (by the way, snuggling releases oxytocin – the human bonding/relational hormone!), and protect the quality and quantity of your sleep. Use blue light blocking glasses at night and consider installing the f.lux program onto your devices which makes the color of your computer screen adapt to the time of day, thereby modulating its stimulating impact.

Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual (we create them for our children, why not for ourselves?) which might include reading, showering, a magnesium-rich (the relaxing mineral) epsom salts bath 30 minutes before bed, gentle stretching, listening to music, drinking herbal tea, aromatherapy, massage, herbs such as valerian root tincture, hops, passionflower, or with the support of an experienced practitioner use supplements that support circadian rhythm which include melatonin, B12, and lithium orotate.

Establish a regular sleep-wake cycle 7 days a week, choosing your be-in-bed-by-time and your lights-out time. Doing your best to stick with this cycle every night will better support the 24-hour rhythm that will ensure healthy sleep patterns and improved mental, emotional and physical health. One of the reasons why it’s often difficult to get going on Monday mornings is because people change up their bedtime routines over the weekend which throws off the sleep-wake cycle and makes for a sluggish start to the week.

Consider pairing your dessert or alcohol (a.k.a. “liquid sugar” – more on this in a future blog) with food earlier in the evening or omit them altogether to help in eliminating the impact of blood-sugar dysregulation on your sleep patterns. When we consume sugars before bed, our blood sugar levels spike and then come down 2-4 hours later in the middle of the night, waking the individual up as a result of our body’s alarm sensing what it perceives as concerning or dangerously low blood sugar levels. Eliminating sugars and alcohol several hours before going to bed and/ or enjoying a protein or healthy fat snack before bed (ie: avocado, nuts, cheese, egg, turkey and other high tryptophan foods) will help individuals fall asleep and stay asleep more successfully.

Limit your use of caffeine to earlier in the day, remembering that caffeine (including energy drinks) that is consumed in the late afternoon for that pick-me-up boost often contributes to insomnia.

Because elevated stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine) can lead to memory and attention problems, irritability, and sleep disorders, work diligently to manage stressors by engaging in some form of relaxation, meditation, breath work, or progressive muscle relaxation exercises. Apps like Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace can be helpful aids for meditation and stress management. Another tip is to write down your worries or to-do’s on a piece of paper that you leave outside of your bedroom, creating a boundary between your “doing” self and your “being or sleeping” self.

Exposure to bright natural light or use of a full-spectrum lamp on a daily basis is helpful in supporting quality sleep patterns, particularly for people who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Getting outside every day helps – even when it’s cloudy, which Lamoille County often is!

Use habit-forming sleep medications as a last resort as they will further interfere with your body’s ability to restore a natural Circadian Rhythm.

Julie Bomengen is a Vermont Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with 22 years of experience in the field of mental health. Julie is also a Nutritional Therapy Consultant (NTC), a certification of the Nutritional Therapy Association. She lives, works and plays in Lamoille County.

Children grow so fast and as parents, we want to make sure they are developing well.

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the Milestone Tracker, a free mobile app for children from birth to 5. The app provides information, photos, and videos on each milestone your child should reach in how he or she plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves. The app helps you track your child’s development and will help you to act early if you have a question or concern.

Click on the age of your child to see the milestones they should meet:

Interactive milestone checklists for children ages 2 months through 5 years, illustrated with photos and videos.

Tips and activities to help children learn and grow.

Information on when to act early and talk with a doctor about developmental delays.

A personalized milestone summary that can be easily shared with care providers.

Reminders for appointments and developmental screenings.

The ability to enter personalized information about your child(ren).

Milestone checklists for a child’s age.

Healthcare providers can also use the app to help with developmental surveillance as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and early care and education providers, home visitors, and others can use it to better understand children’s skills and abilities and to engage families in monitoring developmental progress.

The use of this app is not a substitute for the use of validated, standardized developmental screening tools as recommended by the AAP. This app was developed by the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program with contribution from Dr. Rosa Arriaga and students from the Computing for Good program at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.

CDC does not collect or share any personal information that can be used to identify you or your child.

Northern Vermont University recently held its “Dinner with the Boss,” an event that welcomes students and alumni to give students experience in networking. Alumni were asked to share one “gem” they felt would be most helpful to students just beginning their journey in pursuing their chosen career. The advice was excellent, thought-provoking, and inspirational.

Common to each piece of advice was the importance of being authentic to yourself, using reflection to determine what is truly meaningful to you, and the strength of community. In short, embracing your heart as well as your mind and nurturing connectivity.

It reminded me of an exercise I did years ago as a participant in the ALIGN pilot program at Marlboro College. Through self-examination, careful observation, and reflection, I was able to develop a short specific list of what I need to have in my life on a monthly basis to stay healthy, positive, and engaged – what I would define as a successful life. I keep this list, typed out, in my desk drawer and I refer to it when I am frustrated, overwhelmed or stressed out. Typically, I quickly determine that I’ve neglected one of those items and refocus my actions. The exercise effectively improved my ability to reframe challenges in a positive, nurturing perspective instead of from an unhealthy, negative framework. Change is constant and I continue to use these tools that embrace heart and mind, my “attitude of gratitude,” to guide me in meaningful action.

There are many programs, books, blogs, and Instagram accounts available today that embrace this authenticity and provide tools to individuals and communities.

Marlboro College continues to offer a similar leadership program to the pilot in which I participated.

My favorite piece of advice from “Dinner with the Boss” was a spur-of-the-moment adlib from an experienced educator. It demonstrated heart and mind by showing how a simple action can guarantee inclusivity without making a person declare a need while at the same time increasing the odds that her key message would be heard. What was the advice? “Always use the microphone.”

What tools do you use to encourage authenticity? What advice would you give a young person starting to pursue their career?

Leah Hollenberger is the Development and External Relations Officer for Northern Vermont University. She helped create the Live Well Lamoille Blog while serving as Vice President of Marketing, Development, and Community Relations for Copley Hospital. A former award-winning TV and Radio producer, she is the mother of two and spends her free time volunteering, cooking, playing outdoors, and producing textile arts. Leah writes about community events, preventive care, and assorted ideas to help one make healthy choices.

There is something beautiful and brilliant about- you guessed it: fresh air. No, not the radio program, the actual air you breathe in on a beautiful day where you are afforded the luxury of quite literally inhaling and exhaling clean air. But there is more to fresh air than just that.

This past week, spring suddenly sprung. This past weekend I
spent some time watching, chasing, and playing with my 15-month-old son as he
experienced the joy of a warm sunny day after a long Vermont winter. I can’t effectively
describe the youthful joy of exploring a world you have only had a taste of,
and doing so with the mobility that you have only realized in recent months. His
response was purely instinctual and a clear reaction to his circumstances. What
a joy to watch him!

Whether it was the fresh air, the sun, or the youthful
exploration of the great outdoors, it was infectious. My wife and I had more
fun because of it. But there is more to those things that meet the eye. Study
after study has shown that kids need to get outside, see the sun, and breathe fresh
air.

It doesn’t stop with kids. Just as we know well about
“seasonal depression” for folks who need more light throughout the winter,
adults too need recess. I see it in every smiling face, grins ear to ear, in
the first few beautiful days of the spring. That’s because we can’t help it –
our bodies instinctively respond to the rush of air and warmth and sun and we
can only smile.

So if I give you any advice for the spring, it’s this: take
recess. It doesn’t matter if you simply go for a five-minute walk on your lunch
or coffee break, a loop around the block from your car to the building, or
whatever! Put those inside cleaning projects on hold and weed the garden. It
almost doesn’t matter what you do, just do it outside. If you are lucky enough
to have the joy of a little physical recreation, all the better. Your physical
and mental help will be the beneficiaries and your neighbors, friends and
family will thank you for your sunny disposition.

Sleep has always been important to me. I grew up in a house where everyone’s first question in the morning was, “How’d you sleep?” In our home, naps were regularly taken and rest was often prioritized over other needs or wants. As an adult, not much has changed for me. So I was not just a little surprised to learn that the sleep habits I had developed as an adult were to blame for my less-than-perfect sleep patterns through the night.

This all came to a head about 2 years ago, when I was six months into parenthood. I was exhausted. There was a depth to my tiredness that felt almost irreversible. Well-intentioned friends and family noticed and provided assurance and advice: Buy an espresso maker! Rest when the baby rests! Don’t worry: the baby will start sleeping much more soundly soon! But the truth was that the baby was a great sleeper, who was often down for 8- to 11-hour stretches. It was me who was tossing and turning.

Around this time, a friend suggested I start following a sleep hygiene routine. I had never heard the term before, but I quickly learned that if sleep was my goal, I had to do some research and face the problem intentionally. Along the way, I came across a book that provided a paradigm shift for me: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Ph.D.

Walker covers a host of topics related to sleep, but most powerfully for me, he speaks to the health consequences and risks of failing to sleep enough. In short, sleep impacts virtually every measurable health outcome. Failing to sleep enough (defined as 7 or more hours a night) doubles an individual’s risk of developing cancer, increases the incidence of Alzheimer’s, shortens one’s lifespan, increases the likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes, and increases all psychiatric illnesses, including anxiety and depression. Additionally, in recent years, drivers impaired by lack of sleep caused more vehicle accidents than those impaired by drugs and alcohol combined. For these reasons, along with others, the World Health Organization has declared a sleep loss epidemic in developed nations.

While I had known that sleep was important, I had never known that my survival was so dependent on getting so much sleep, consistently. Sleep, it was becoming clear to me, is incredibly serious business. So, how can we best ensure a good night’s rest? Experts recommend developing strong “sleep hygiene”, or habits that are conducive to regularly sleeping well. Below is a list of behaviors that promote good sleep:

1. Avoid or limit caffeine, alcohol, and other substances that interfere with sleep. Some resources recommend avoiding caffeine after noon and giving your body plenty of time to digest alcohol before going to sleep.

2. Establish a consistent bedtime routine and head to bed around the same time every night (even on weekends).

3. Set boundaries around screen time and limit blue light exposure in the hours leading up to bedtime.

4. Make your bedroom a place of rest – keep the bedroom dark and the temperature comfortable. Avoid doing work or watching TV in the bedroom.

5. Get outside and move during the day. Regular exposure to sunlight (even on cloudy days) and as little as 10 minutes a day of exercise positively impacts sleep cycles.

6. If you are a nighttime clock watcher or phone checker, take both out of the room.

7. Stay calm when you can’t sleep. Limit your awake time in bed to 10-20 minutes. If you can’t fall asleep (or back to sleep), do something else relaxing somewhere else in your house.

8. Experiment and be patient. Different approaches work for different people and finding the right mix of behavioral changes may take some time.

Emily Neilsen is a mother and educator, who loves asking big questions, digging in the soil, swimming in natural bodies of water, and playing outdoors. She is a 500-hour and Prenatal certified yoga instructor. Emily currently plans arts & cultural events and reading initiatives, and works with first-year students at Northern Vermont University-Johnson. She cares deeply about health and believes mental health, movement, and diet play essential roles in wellness. Emily lives with her husband and 2-year-old, as well as a husky and a calico cat in Hyde Park, VT.

Hello! I’m excited to offer you my first Live Well Lamoille blog post. I will be covering topics related to Mental Health and hope that what I share will be interesting, educational, and applicable to you in your lives. I will be speaking about mental health from a Mind-Body approach which will include biological, psychological, and social perspectives. This style is inclusive, holistic, and integrated, and will allow for an exploration of mental health that is educational and functional.

The work I do as an outpatient mental health therapist includes discussion of “Pillars of Health.” These Pillars serve as the foundation for health and wellness and are paramount to any discussion about mental and emotional well-being. Pillars include:

Attention to Quality of Sleep and understanding the influence of our body’s Circadian Rhythms

Regular Physical Movement and Activities that are engaging and fun

Nutrient-Dense Foods that support optimal health for the individual

Involvement in a Supportive and Caring Community

Positive Personal and Intimate Relationships that are enduring, loving, and reliable

Meaningful Engagement in Work (paid or voluntary)

and lastly, a Robust Toolbox of Skills and Resources to Manage Current Stressors and/or Past Traumas.

I would argue that when we pay attention and subscribe to these Pillars of Health, the majority of disturbances in our health and wellbeing can and will be mitigated, if not eliminated. While it will always remain true that we cannot control for every variable that impacts our health and wellbeing, there is a hopefulness that comes with knowing that we have more agency and ability to manage and shape our health than we might have believed. Of course, if optimal health was achieved simply by knowing about these “Pillars,” we’d all be in good shape.

The truth is we benefit from a supportive environment in which to address our health goals. It can be hard to make and sustain changes, and due to bioindividuality (the fact that each of us has very specific needs for his or her own health according to age, constitution, gender, size, lifestyle, and ancestry), there is no “one size fits all” formula. Still, there are common themes and clear ways to feel better from the inside out.

My goal is to help you understand and feel confident about how to take charge of your Mental Health. I look forward to teasing apart the “Pillars” and discussing other important and pressing themes such as addiction, depression, anxiety, and suicide, as well as the impact of a sedentary lifestyle and excessive screen time, and how a deficiency of time spent in nature all contribute to poor behavioral health outcomes.

For now, start paying attention to each of your own Pillars of Health and complete a self-inventory to determine which ones might need support and reinforcing. For example, ask yourself:

How is the quality of my sleep? Do I feel rested in the morning?

Am I moving my body in some way every day? What impact does movement have on my mood?

Am I feeding my body and brain the nutrients it needs to function well? How are my moods impacted by what I eat or when I eat?

Am I involved in some type of supportive community? If not, why?

Are my relationships strong and reliable? How do these relationships impact my attitude or mood?

Am I doing work that I enjoy and find meaningful? Do I have effective outlets for managing stress?

Take some notes and stay tuned for how to optimize your mental and emotional health!

Best,
Julie

Julie Bomengen is a Vermont Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with 22 years of experience in the field of mental health. Julie is also a Nutritional Therapy Consultant (NTC), a certification of the Nutritional Therapy Association. She lives, works and plays in Lamoille County.

If he had his own way, my son would subsist entirely on pancakes. In his words, “with syrup AND jam.” As a garden nutrition educator, I’m embarrassed to admit this, since I work hard to convince kids they love kale and beets over more sugar-laden food options. And here’s my own son double fisting pancakes drenched in syrup.

I have to remember that I, as the well meaning adult in this picture, am in charge of helping my young one develop his palate to enjoy many different tastes and flavors. But a child’s love for all things carbohydrate and sugar can leave even the most determined parent feeling defeated from time to time at the dinner table.

This is a good place to introduce the idea of stealth health, from the “if you can’t beat them, join ‘em” category of parenting advice. While it’s still important to introduce foods raw or solo for young kids to get a taste for them, sometimes you need to get creative to get all the nutrition you can into their growing bodies. I’m taking a page from my mom on this one, who had many vegetable pancake variations, most of which were not well received by my younger self. Corn, zucchini, and carrots all made appearances at the breakfast table, met with many a complaint from me to “just have normal pancakes.”

Well, here I am as an adult who loves many different kinds of veggies, so my mom’s persistence paid off. We’re in for the long haul teaching food habits to kids – food preferences are MUCH easier to shape at a young age. However, this might not always look perfect. For example, my son tasting a bite of spinach and spitting it out onto my plate…but his excited “I tried it!” is a step in the right direction. We’ll work more on manners, but exposure to many different tastes in the toddler years will help our young ones become adventurous eaters as adults.

Here are some fun ideas from the stealth
health kitchen:

Pasta and pizza are often easy “wins” with kids – who doesn’t love them? Purée steamed kale or broccoli, roasted beets, or other veggies into the tomato sauce for extra nutrients. This also works for meatloaf or meatballs – add 1 cup of puréed veggies to your regular recipe.

Take it from brussels sprouts, they got a lot more popular once they met bacon. Use small amounts of cheese or bacon to make a previously unpopular vegetables shine.

If you’re desperate, you can always hide veggies! I often slip the kale and spinach under the cheese in a pizza. Also, grated or sliced veggies (raw or cooked) can easily be tucked into sandwiches and wraps without too much of a fuss.

Give in a little bit to a toddler’s love of sugar by roasting root vegetables like parsnips, carrots, and beets to bring out their natural sugars. Cut them in wedges and have “rainbow french fries”!

This pancake recipe is popular in our house and a great way to sneak some extra nutrients into breakfast without your picky eaters noticing. Enjoy!

Carrot Apple Pancakes

2 large carrots, grated

1 large apple, grated

1 cup plain yogurt + ½ cup milk

2 eggs

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp ginger (dried or fresh)

½ cup raisins (optional)

Mix flour, baking soda, sugar, raisins, and spices together in a bowl. Separately, whisk eggs, milk, and yogurt together and then stir in the grated carrot and apple. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, being careful to not overmix (this makes pancakes tough). Fry on a pancake griddle, or in a little oil on a skillet until crispy and risen a bit.

Julie Swank is a farmer, a school garden and nutrition educator, and most recently a mom, which has put all of her skills to the test to keep her busy two-year-old healthy and fed. She loves to connect people to their food by sharing advice from the kitchen and getting hands in the soil on the farm. You can find her in the kitchen cooking meals for her son’s preschool, Four Seasons of Early Learning, and tending gardens in Greensboro, VT.

I don’t know about you, but this time of year always tugs at my inner gardener. I linger in a space of memories to the joy I find in delicious, locally grown produce and berries. As I watch the birds ready themselves for mating and all that the ritual of spring renewal has to offer, I dream of seeds sprouting, sap running, and the trees budding. In Vermont, we know how quickly things change and that goes for our short growing season. I’m longing for cool misty mornings with my bare feet in the garden, long, steamy days that turn into peaceful evenings filled with music and laughter, and for summer farmers’ markets to open and the connection that brings to abundance and community.

Did you know that starting in July, just in time for peak
growing season, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Division is
opening up the Farm to Family program to our local farm stands?

This program falls under Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and supplements healthy eating choices of locally produced fruits, vegetables and plant starts for families from birth to age five. Farm to Family was originally only for farmers’ markets, but with this expansion, a broader focus on the importance of starting to eat healthy from the start helps to foster healthy habits for a lifetime. Families receive $30.00 in Farm to Family coupons in $6.00 increments. Here’s who can get support from WIC:

Pregant Women

Moms

Dads

Grandparents

Foster Parents

Step Parents

Guardians

“If you’re pregnant, a caregiver, or a mom with a child under age 5, you can get the right personalized support for you and your family. Caregivers with low to medium income and those who are part of other programs such as foster care, medical assistance or SNAP are eligible. Contact your local office for details.” – signupwic.com

This time of year also brings renewal and change. I try to focus on eating healthy and incorporating recipes that are easy, versatile and satisfying. I was on my social media account last night and a good friend, Kim Place-Faucher, posted a picture of a delicious salad.

The funny thing was, her post asked about food blogging! Well of course, I had to share my guest blog post through Healthy Lamoille Valley and that I was writing this post for all of you. I asked if I could share her recipe and she said, “Yes!” Here is Kim’s recipe:

1 avocado

1 blood orange

1 Cara Cara orange

1 navel

A small handful of fresh cilantro

Dress the salad with fresh-squeezed lime juice and drizzle with local honey.

This season also provides the best local maple syrup, so you
could try a variation by changing out the honey with maple. Whatever your
choice, I hope this finds you well and wanting to enjoy the offerings of the
season. At the very least it might make mud season more tolerable.

In gratitude,

Deb

Deb Nevil is a Boston native who grew up summering on the ocean in Marshfield, MA. Clamming, blackberry picking, gardening and homemade cooking has always been her passion. Consequently, her love for healthy, natural food and wellness has brought her to create in her hometown, Jeffersonville Farmers’ and Artisan Market. Deb was encouraged by her parents to live life on her own terms while helping others achieve their goals through neighborliness, generosity and compassion.

A mother of 4 with a M.Ed., Deb oversees the after school and summer Enrichment program as the 21st Center for Learning Coordinator at Cambridge Elementary School. Deb understands the importance of a healthy, educated and engaged community to raise positive and productive children. She is a Vermont Farmers’ Market Advisory (VTFMA) Board Member, Brand Ambassador for Kingdom Creamery of VT and coordinates the JFAM Mtn. Jam Music Series in Jeffersonville in July-August.

Deb lives in Cambridge with her family, and babies: her dogs and cats.

The Vernal Equinox is March 20, 2019. Looking outside my window, I dare say there is more snow melting that needs to happen before it feels like spring. Every year I look forward to spring and getting my hands in the garden to tend my flowers. For me, caring for my flowers provides me solace and relaxation.

You can find several references regarding
gardening as a source of mental health. Here is one such reference from Psychology Today. In this article, the author identifies gardening
as a source of nurturing and being in the present moment.

The first flower that greets us in the spring is
the Crocus. The Crocus is a brave yet delicate flower. It reminds me that
having a little courage can help me push through the cold dormant ground of
winter’s past. I hope you enjoy this poem by Frances Ellen Walkins Harper and
think Spring!

The Crocuses

They heard the South wind sighing A murmur of the rain; And they knew that Earth was longing To see them all again.

While the snow-drops still were sleeping Beneath the silent sod; They felt their new life pulsing Within the dark, cold clod.

Not a daffodil nor daisy Had dared to raise its head; Not a fairhaired dandelion Peeped timid from its bed;

Though a tremor of the winter Did shivering through them run; Yet they lifted up their foreheads To greet the vernal sun.

And the sunbeams gave them welcome, As did the morning air— And scattered o’er their simple robes Rich tints of beauty rare.

Soon a host of lovely flowers From vales and woodland burst; But in all that fair procession The crocuses were first.

First to weave for Earth a chaplet To crown her dear old head; And to beauty the pathway Where winter still did tread.

And their loved and white-haired mother Smiled sweetly ’neath the touch, When she knew her faithful children Were loving her so much

-Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, 1825 – 1911

Valerie Valcour is a Public Health Nurse and specializes in chronic disease prevention and emergency preparedness at the community level for the Department of Health in Morrisville. Valerie has lived in Lamoille County for most of her life. She graduated from People’s Academy in 1983 and worked as a nurse at Copley Hospital for several years. In addition to her work, she volunteers as a board member of both Community Health Services of Lamoille Valley and the Lamoille County Planning Commission.

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While most of us have an intuitive drive and love for sleep, many of us don’t understand how a good night’s rest impacts our mental and emotional well-being. Julie Bomengen's latest Live Well Lamoille blog post unpacks sleep as a pillar, or foundation, for mental health. ... See MoreSee Less

Sweet Dreams May 14 2019 Browse archives for May 14, 2019 Live Well Lamoille The Live Well Lamoille blog is a collaborative community effort. We hope you find this blog to be a valuable resource and u...

Happiness isn't all about big ambitions or achievements - it's also about the little touches that make daily life just a bit nicer. In today's Live Well Lamoille Blog post, Dan Regan encourages us to indulge in life's small pleasures. ... See MoreSee Less

Small Pleasures May 21 2019 Browse archives for May 21, 2019 Live Well Lamoille The Live Well Lamoille blog is a collaborative community effort. We hope you find this blog to be a valuable resource an...

Fresh Air May 02 2019 Browse archives for May 02, 2019 Live Well Lamoille The Live Well Lamoille blog is a collaborative community effort. We hope you find this blog to be a valuable resource and use ...

Success means something different to everyone, but many might define it as being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, and loved. Our latest #LiveWellLamoille blog post examines the importance of embracing your heart, mind, and community to live well. ... See MoreSee Less

The Power of Positivity and Reflection May 07 2019 Browse archives for May 07, 2019 Live Well Lamoille The Live Well Lamoille blog is a collaborative community effort. We hope you find this blog to be...

Celebrating excellence. Last evening during our service awards banquet Angela Griggs (Patient Financial Services) , Rebecca Harris, RN (Oncology/Infusion Suite) and Amanda Cookson (Medical Staff Credentialing) were presented with awards that honored their work and dedication to Copley and our community. Angela was presented with the Employee of the Year Award by Art Mathisen, and Don Dupuis, MD, on behalf of the medical staff, presented Rebecca with the Edward French Award and Amanda with the Goddard Family Award. These individuals exemplify the true meaning of exceptional, excellence and compassionate. Congratulations on receiving these prestigious awards. ... See MoreSee Less

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It is essential that you seek professional advice for all issues concerning your health. Do not take any of the information in this blog (either in posts or comments) as professional advice or official communication from Copley Hospital or any of the blog authors. Posts and comments on this blog are not intended to be professional advice, unless implicitly indicated in the blog post, and do not necessarily reflect Copley Hospital policy or corporate opinion. The opinions and/or views expressed on Live Well Lamoille represent the thoughts of the individual bloggers and commenters, not those necessarily of the organizations they represent or organizations affiliated with the blog.

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